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New York Post
3 days ago
- General
- New York Post
Archaeologists may have finally solved the mystery of Roanoke's ‘Lost Colony'
A team of researchers believes they may have cracked one of America's most enduring legends: Where did the settlers of the Roanoke Colony go? The Roanoke Colony, also known as the Lost Colony, was the first permanent English settlement in the United States. A group of over 100 colonists settled on North Carolina's Roanoke Island in 1587, led by Sir Walter Raleigh. John White, the governor of the colony, returned to England for supplies in 1587. When he came back to Roanoke Island in August 1590, he found the settlement mysteriously abandoned – and all the colonists, including his daughter Eleanor Dare and his granddaughter Virginia Dare, gone. One of the only clues remaining at the site was the word 'CROATOAN' carved into a palisade. It either referred to Croatoan Island, which is now called Hatteras Island, or the Croatoan Indians. The mystery has haunted Americans and Brits for the past four centuries, with several investigations launched into the matter. Whether the colonists were killed by Native Americans, starved to death, or left for greener pastures has eluded historians. But new research suggests the colonists' fate may not have been tragic after all. Mark Horton, an archaeology professor at the Royal Agricultural University in England, spoke with Fox News Digital about his findings. 5 A team of researchers believes they may have cracked one of America's most enduring legends: Where did the settlers of the Roanoke Colony go? Getty Images For the past decade, the British researcher has worked with the Croatoan Archaeological Society's Scott Dawson to uncover the mystery. Horton said they've uncovered proof that the colonists assimilated into Croatoan society, thanks to a trash heap. 'We're looking at the middens — that's the rubbish heaps — of the Native Americans living on Hatteras Island, because we deduced that they would have very rapidly been assimilated into the Native American population,' Horton said. The smoking gun at the site? 5 The mystery has haunted Americans and Brits for the past four centuries, with several investigations launched into the matter. Youtube/IslandTimeTV Hammerscale, which are tiny, flaky bits of iron that come from forging iron. Horton said it's definitive proof of iron-working on Hatteras Island, which could have only been done by English colonists. 'The key significance of hammerscale … is that it's evidence of iron-working, of forging, at that moment,' he said. 'Hammerscale is what comes off a blacksmith's forge.' Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Horton added, 'This is metal that has to be raised to a relatively high temperature … which, of course, [requires] technology that Native Americans at this period did not have.' Hammerscale shows that the English 'must have been working' in this Native American community, according to the expert. But what if the hammerscale came longer after the Roanoke Colony was abandoned? Horton said that's unlikely. 'We found it stratified … underneath layers that we know date to the late 16th or early 17th century,' he said. 'So we know that this dates to the period when the lost colonists would have come to Hatteras Island.' 5 The Roanoke Colony, also known as the Lost Colony, was the first permanent English settlement in the United States. Getty Images 5 'We're looking at the middens — that's the rubbish heaps — of the Native Americans living on Hatteras Island, because we deduced that they would have very rapidly been assimilated into the Native American population,' Mark Horton, an archaeology professor at the Royal Agricultural University in England, said. Youtube/IslandTimeTV 'It's a combination of both its archaeological position but also the fact that it's evidence of people actually using an English technology.' At the site, archaeologists also found guns, nautical fittings, small cannonballs, an engraved slate and a stylus, in addition to wine glasses and beads, which all paint a vivid picture of life on Hatteras Island in the 17th century. When asked if the colonists could have been killed in a later war, Horton said they survived among the Croatoans and successfully assimilated. 'We have one little snippet of historical evidence from the 1700s, which describes people with blue or gray eyes who could remember people who used to be able to read from books,' he said. 'Also, they said there was this ghost ship that was sent out by a man called Raleigh.' 5 When asked if the colonists could have been killed in a later war, Horton said they survived among the Croatoans and successfully assimilated. Youtube/IslandTimeTV Horton added, 'We think that they assimilated into the Native American community and their descendants, their sons, their granddaughters, their grandsons carried on living on Hatteras Island until the early 18th century.' When asked if he's officially solved the mystery, Horton said that though the archaeological evidence is definitive, the legend will probably still endure. 'Have we solved the mystery? Well, you know, it's pretty good evidence, but there's always more work to be done,' he said. Horton added, 'And people love mysteries. They hate resolving things one way or the other. So I'm sure that the mystery will continue, you know, whatever the scientific evidence says.'
Fox News
3 days ago
- General
- Fox News
Mystery of America's 'Lost Colony' may finally be solved after 440 years, archaeologists say
A team of researchers believes they may have cracked one of America's most enduring legends: Where did the settlers of the Roanoke Colony go? The Roanoke Colony, also known as the Lost Colony, was the first permanent English settlement in the United States. A group of over 100 colonists settled on North Carolina's Roanoke Island in 1587, led by Sir Walter Raleigh. John White, the governor of the colony, returned to England for supplies in 1587. When he came back to Roanoke Island in August 1590, he found the settlement mysteriously abandoned – and all the colonists, including his daughter Eleanor Dare and his granddaughter Virginia Dare, gone. One of the only clues remaining at the site was the word "CROATOAN" carved into a palisade. It either referred to Croatoan Island, which is now called Hatteras Island, or the Croatoan Indians. The mystery has haunted Americans and Brits for the past four centuries, with several investigations launched into the matter. Whether the colonists were killed by Native Americans, starved to death or left for greener pastures has eluded historians. But new research suggests the colonists' fate may not have been tragic after all. Mark Horton, an archaeology professor at Royal Agricultural University in England, spoke with Fox News Digital about his findings. "This is metal that has to be raised to a relatively high temperature … which, of course, [requires] technology that Native Americans at this period did not have." For the past decade, the British researcher has worked with the Croatoan Archaeological Society's Scott Dawson to uncover the mystery. Horton said they've uncovered proof the colonists assimilated into Croatoan society, thanks to a trash heap. (See the video at the top of this article.) "We're looking at the middens — that's the rubbish heaps — of the Native Americans living on Hatteras Island, because we deduced that they would have very rapidly been assimilated into the Native American population," Horton said. The smoking gun at the site? Hammerscale, which are tiny, flaky bits of iron that come from forging iron. Horton said it's definitive proof of iron-working on Hatteras Island, which could have only been done by English colonists. "The key significance of hammerscale … is that it's evidence of iron-working, of forging, at that moment," he said. "Hammerscale is what comes off a blacksmith's forge." Horton added, "This is metal that has to be raised to a relatively high temperature … which, of course, [requires] technology that Native Americans at this period did not have." Hammerscale shows that the English "must have been working" in this Native American community, according to the expert. But what if the hammerscale came longer after the Roanoke Colony was abandoned? Horton said that's unlikely. "We found it stratified … underneath layers that we know date to the late 16th or early 17th century," he said. "So we know that this dates to the period when the lost colonists would have come to Hatteras Island." "It's a combination of both its archaeological position but also the fact that it's evidence of people actually using an English technology." At the site, archaeologists also found guns, nautical fittings, small cannonballs, an engraved slate and a stylus, in addition to wine glasses and beads – which all paint a vivid picture of life on Hatteras Island in the 17th century. When asked if the colonists could have been killed in a later war, Horton said they survived among the Croatoans and successfully assimilated. "We have one little snippet of historical evidence from the 1700s, which describes people with blue or gray eyes who could remember people who used to be able to read from books," he said. "Also, they said there was this ghost ship that was sent out by a man called Raleigh." Horton added, "We think that they assimilated into the Native American community and their descendants, their sons, their granddaughters, their grandsons carried on living on Hatteras Island until the early 18th century." When asked if he's officially solved the mystery, Horton said that though the archaeological evidence is definitive, the legend will probably still endure. "Have we solved the mystery? Well, you know, it's pretty good evidence, but there's always more work to be done," he said. Horton added, "And people love mysteries. They hate resolving things one way or the other. So I'm sure that the mystery will continue, you know, whatever the scientific evidence says."
BBC News
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Welsh golfer Harry aiming to reach LPGA in style
Darcey Harry is a rising Welsh star aiming to prove golf can be cool en route to the LPGA has made an impressive to start to her rookie season on the Ladies European Tour (LET) having come through qualifying school in the 21-year-old's ultimate target is to compete with female golf's biggest names on the USA-based LPGA Tour – and to emulate Michelle Wie and Charley Hull by doing it in style."They show the world that golf can be a fashionable sport, that you can make it look cool and it's fun," Harry says."I am quite big into my fashion and they incorporate golf and fashion really well, so they are definitely my favourites."I think in women's golf especially, we've got to modernise and show little girls that it is a cool sport to be in and you don't have to wear your high socks and baggy trousers. Girls can look cool doing it and that's something that I hope to inspire as well."Harry, from Dinas Powys, took up golf by chance, first swinging a club as a toddler at the Vale Resort in Hensol because that was where she went to creche."I have probably always been able to really hit driver, even when I was a little girl," she tells BBC Sport Wales. By her mid-teens, Harry was playing for Wales and had become a member at the prestigious Royal has experience of playing in America, having been partly educated in the Bahamas to aid her golfing development."I lived in Albany. That's where Tiger Woods is part-time based so I got to see him a few times out on the golf course," Harry explains."Justin Rose was based there for a long time too. We had the same coach and that was pretty cool."Harry's "side passion" is horses, and she graduated last year in equine sciences at the Royal Agricultural University in has a horse, Larry, who she rides whenever golf allows – and insists that is not about to change despite the risk of an injury which could affect the day job."He's a very lovely horse," Harry says. "He always looks after me so as long as I do things sensibly, I should be fine."Larry has been a little lonely of late, however, with Harry travelling the globe on the back of her success in qualifying school, where the top 20 players landed LET came second, shooting eight under par on the final day in Morocco having turned professional to take her tour chance. Harry's first LET event, in Morocco in February, saw her miss the her second start, at the Australian Women's Classic last month, began with a round of 64 and ended with a sixth-placed finish, with Harry in the final group on Sunday."I don't think I've ever played in front of such big crowds before," she says."But I loved every moment of it. I played with some players who have been on tour for over 10 years. It was great to watch them, to see how they do it and learn from them."There was more good news the following week at the Women's NSW Open, also in Australia, where Harry finished a week back home in Wales - which included a ride on Larry - Harry returns to action at the South African Women's Open on comes a trip to South Korea before a string of summer events in biggest of those is in her own backyard, with Porthcawl hosting the Women's Open – the largest female sporting event ever to be staged in Wales - from 31 set up what would be a major debut, Harry will probably need to come through qualifying."Fingers crossed," she adds."I know the course inside out. I know every patch of rough, that's for sure!"There are going to be huge crowds. I think my golf thrives from crowds and it would be amazing having lots of friends and family coming out to watch if I did qualify." Harry's other target for her maiden LET season is to gain enough ranking points to ensure she secures a tour card for next early successes in Australia have taken some pressure off – and also fuelled belief that she can compete at this is conscious that as one of only three Welsh players on the LET – alongside Chloe Williams and Lydia Hall – she is flying the flag for her homeland."We are a really small country so it is a big struggle," she says."I think the next generation do need some people who are on tour and doing well, hopefully to inspire the young girls coming up especially."Harry's ability to influence potential golfers of the future will only increase should she follow in the footsteps of Wie and Hull by achieving her LPGA dream."Whether it happens next year, whether it happens in five years, you can't ever put a time on anything," she says."But that is my ultimate goal, to be playing in the States."
BBC News
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Clarkson's Farm star Kaleb Cooper gives students a helping hand
Two agriculture students have been given a helping hand to get into the industry by a Cotswolds TV Geggie, 20, and Rupert Jones, 19, both students at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU), have been given £3,000 by Kaleb Cooper after struggling to break into the industry from non-farming Clarkson's Farm star will also give the pair the chance to apply for a work placement with him or one of his industry Cooper said previous bursary recipients had set aside the money to start their own businesses, and get special vehicle training. 'Over the moon' Miss Geggie grew up in Cheshire, and worked as a shepherd in North Yorkshire for two years after leaving college."It was the best two years of my life, I loved it," she was drawn to agriculture through her passion for sheep and lambing, and has some ideas on what to spend her bursary on."I think I'm going to put it towards a sheepdog," she said."It means a lot, I'm over the moon. I'm very grateful to Kaleb for everything." Rupert Jones grew up in Bournemouth, and did not have any agricultural experience before university,"I'd never stepped foot on a farm before," he said."I've always loved the idea of producing things and I've always grown vegetables at home and have animals, so coming here has been great."Mr Jones said receiving the bursary had given him "a boost in inspiration" to continue his studies."It really opens a lot of doors for me and I think it will definitely help me get into the industry."
